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| Christchurch shootings: NZ cabinet backs tighter gun laws | Christchurch shootings: NZ cabinet backs tighter gun laws |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has said she will announce detailed gun law reforms within days, after an attack on two mosques left 50 people dead. | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has said she will announce detailed gun law reforms within days, after an attack on two mosques left 50 people dead. |
| Ms Ardern said her cabinet had backed gun law changes "in principle". | Ms Ardern said her cabinet had backed gun law changes "in principle". |
| Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-described white supremacist, has been charged with murder. | Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-described white supremacist, has been charged with murder. |
| Police say the killer used military-style assault weapons modified to make them more deadly for the attack - all of which is legal under current laws. | Police say the killer used military-style assault weapons modified to make them more deadly for the attack - all of which is legal under current laws. |
| What has the cabinet agreed? | What has the cabinet agreed? |
| No specific details were given by the prime minister at her press conference on Monday, but she said they would made clear soon. | No specific details were given by the prime minister at her press conference on Monday, but she said they would made clear soon. |
| "This ultimately means that within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer," she said. | "This ultimately means that within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer," she said. |
| Ms Ardern was appearing alongside her coalition partner and Deputy PM Winston Peters, who has previously opposed changes. | Ms Ardern was appearing alongside her coalition partner and Deputy PM Winston Peters, who has previously opposed changes. |
| He said he fully supported the prime minister on the issue, adding: "The reality is that after one pm on Friday, our world changed forever and so will our laws." | |
| Ms Ardern said: "We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified." | Ms Ardern said: "We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified." |
| She also announced that an inquiry would look into the lead-up to the attacks, and what might have been done differently. | She also announced that an inquiry would look into the lead-up to the attacks, and what might have been done differently. |
| What do we know about the guns used? | What do we know about the guns used? |
| At the weekend, Ms Ardern said the suspect had a gun licence, obtained in November 2017, and owned five guns. | At the weekend, Ms Ardern said the suspect had a gun licence, obtained in November 2017, and owned five guns. |
| Earlier on Monday, gun retailer Gun City said it had sold four weapons to the alleged gunman online, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings. | Earlier on Monday, gun retailer Gun City said it had sold four weapons to the alleged gunman online, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings. |
| CEO David Tipple told a news conference in Christchurch it had only sold him A-category weapons. | CEO David Tipple told a news conference in Christchurch it had only sold him A-category weapons. |
| Under the country's gun laws, A-category weapons can be semi-automatic but limited to seven shots. Video footage of the attacks appeared to show the gunman with a larger magazine round, which is also available legally. | Under the country's gun laws, A-category weapons can be semi-automatic but limited to seven shots. Video footage of the attacks appeared to show the gunman with a larger magazine round, which is also available legally. |
| There are an estimated 1.5 million privately owned firearms in the country. | There are an estimated 1.5 million privately owned firearms in the country. |
| Since the attack there have been calls for semi-automatic weapons to be banned. | Since the attack there have been calls for semi-automatic weapons to be banned. |
| Previous attempts to tighten gun laws have failed due to a strong gun lobby and a culture of hunting. | Previous attempts to tighten gun laws have failed due to a strong gun lobby and a culture of hunting. |
| New Zealand's gun laws | New Zealand's gun laws |
| What do we know about the footage of the attack? | What do we know about the footage of the attack? |
| Footage of the killings was live-streamed by the attacker, and on Sunday police said it was now classified as an objectionable publication and therefore it was an offence to distribute or possess the material. | Footage of the killings was live-streamed by the attacker, and on Sunday police said it was now classified as an objectionable publication and therefore it was an offence to distribute or possess the material. |
| An 18-year-old appeared in court on Monday, charged with distributing the live-stream. The teenager was also charged with publishing a photograph of the mosque with the message "target acquired" and faces a maximum of 14 years in prison for each charge, according to the prosecution. | An 18-year-old appeared in court on Monday, charged with distributing the live-stream. The teenager was also charged with publishing a photograph of the mosque with the message "target acquired" and faces a maximum of 14 years in prison for each charge, according to the prosecution. |
| Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack around the world in the first 24 hours. | Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack around the world in the first 24 hours. |
| Emotion still raw | |
| By Jay Savage, BBC News, Christchurch | |
| Many returned to work and school on Monday, but little about it felt ordinary. If anything, the signs of the city's emotions became more visible. | |
| Flowers left at the main tribute site swelled, easily doubling what was there a day earlier. | |
| Outside Al Noor mosque, hundreds of people attended an afternoon vigil. It featured a thundering haka, performed by dozens of schoolchildren. Other students stood together singing softly or linking arms in silence. A few cried openly. | |
| The importance of coming together was the main topic of conversation. | |
| What is the latest on the victims? | What is the latest on the victims? |
| Nine people remain in hospital in a critical condition. | Nine people remain in hospital in a critical condition. |
| Frustration is building among relatives over the release of the bodies of the dead for burial. | Frustration is building among relatives over the release of the bodies of the dead for burial. |
| The first release was approved on Sunday but the family say another relative was killed and they want them released together. No burials will take place on Monday. | The first release was approved on Sunday but the family say another relative was killed and they want them released together. No burials will take place on Monday. |
| Islamic tradition calls for the cleansing and burial of bodies as soon as possible after death. | Islamic tradition calls for the cleansing and burial of bodies as soon as possible after death. |
| And on the suspected gunman? | And on the suspected gunman? |
| Brenton Tarrant on Monday fired his state-appointed lawyer, Richard Peters. | Brenton Tarrant on Monday fired his state-appointed lawyer, Richard Peters. |
| Mr Peters says the defendant has indicated he "wants to be self-represented in this case". | Mr Peters says the defendant has indicated he "wants to be self-represented in this case". |
| The lawyer added: "The way he presented was rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. He seemed to understand what was going on." | The lawyer added: "The way he presented was rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. He seemed to understand what was going on." |
| Australian police raided two homes near Sydney on Monday as part of the inquiry. | Australian police raided two homes near Sydney on Monday as part of the inquiry. |
| Australian media reported that one of the homes belongs to Brenton Tarrant's sister. The family is co-operating with the authorities. | Australian media reported that one of the homes belongs to Brenton Tarrant's sister. The family is co-operating with the authorities. |
| An uncle of Brenton Tarrant said: "We are so sorry for the families over there, for the dead and injured." | An uncle of Brenton Tarrant said: "We are so sorry for the families over there, for the dead and injured." |
| New Zealand police confirmed on Monday they believed there was only one attacker, but added that this did not rule out others might have provided support. | New Zealand police confirmed on Monday they believed there was only one attacker, but added that this did not rule out others might have provided support. |